OXFORD – A owner of a local coffee house and several local artisans are joining forces to raise much-needed funds for Destiny Equine Center, a non-profit animal rescue located at 904 Hoben Road in Oxford.
From 1 to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 5 and Saturday, Dec. 12, Kathi Moser of Clachan Coffee House will host a special holiday sale at her establishment, located at 8 Lafayette Park in Oxford. She and others participating in the sale, including Nancy Russo Photography and Hats by Angelique, plan to donate a percentage of their sales from the event to the charitable organization.
“Michele is one of my regular customers,” said Moser, who explained that she was drawn to support the effort after witnessing how Destiny Equine Founder Michele Delorenzo had opened her heart to the animals she has rescued.
The idea for the sale grew, she said, after Delorenzo started raising money for the rescue by selling handcrafted jewelry at the coffee house. 100 percent of the proceeds from the sale of the pieces, sold under the name Jewelry by Destiny, goes directly to the animal rescue.
Customers will also have the opportunity to purchase handcrafted jewelry made by Delorenzo herself, which she sells under the name Jewelry by Destiny.
According to Moser, the jewelry has already been a big hit with her regular patrons. “People have gone absolutely nuts for it,” she said.
Delorenzo said she has been surprised by the response to the pieces, which for her were a way to help cover the cost of caring for the horses and other animals in her care and raising awareness for the organization
“It gets our name out there,” she said.
The Texas native said she has always had an affinity with horses. Shortly after moving to Chenango County with her partner Ron Brandon in 2001, she purchased a thoroughbred named Jamaica Deal. The horse, which she calls DJ, had suffered a leg injury and showed signs of mistreatment. After getting a “refresher” on caring for horses from Ken and Sandy Cobb, Delorenzo started looking for other animals she could help.
“One thing lead to another,” she said. Now the rescue is home to 20 horses and an assortment of sheep, goats, chickens, pigs and cows. They have all come from places where their owners couldn’t or wouldn’t take care of them in keeping with her vision for Destiny Equine: “to provide a ‘new destiny,’ for equine and farm animals that are in need of rescue, rehabilitation or retirement.”
It hasn’t always been easy. According to Delorenzo, the cost of feeding and caring for each horse is between $1,500 to $2,500 a year. She has funded the entire operation out of her own pocket, supplemented by a small number of donations and sponsorships. Now that Destiny Equine has received its non profit status, however, she and the other members of her newly formed board of directors are working to change that.
“We have a lot of goals,” reported Board Member Jo Klein, who is helping to spearhead the fundraising efforts. They hope that with the holiday sale and other events they are planning for the spring, they will be able to raise money not only to continue operating the center, but also to expand.
One of the group’s objectives is to establish an education center, which would encourage young people to learn about and caring for animals. In order for this to happen, more shed rows will need to be constructed as well as a bigger barn, Klein said.
“We have a lot of fundraising to do,” Delorenzo said.
In addition to their efforts to raise money, Destiny Equine is also seeking donations of lumber, metal roofing and scrap building materials. Volunteers are also needed to groom and work with the horses, particularly in the spring and summer, she added.
For more information on Destiny Equine Center, contact Delorenzo at 227-1515.